Rock Island daily Argus., 1887-10-22

Il shall not answer.
"What reproach can You bring against that
pure and noble girli'
Nothing, notbing!"
Her father them"
"Nor him, either, poor unhappy mani"
"Then | cannot understand you at ALL
Why this mysteryi Speak. l command you
Have you any reproach to make against me,
your mother, who has loved you sol"
She had said this last obeying some occult
power, and when she had uttered the words
she stood breathless waiting his answer What
if her past was known Why had she said
thatl
you wish to know all, mother7r
II do, for | know there must be some s,l-
preme reason for this inexplicable conduct on
your part"
He gathered his remaining strength, and
then said slowly:
There Is grave secret in NJ. Forneys life.
His name is not Forney, but it hides another
which is known to you, and which was dis
honored"
"Dishonored you sayl'
"Yes, by an infamous condemnation. For
ney is an escaped convict, condemned for
assassination to hard labor for life in New
Caledonia, from whence he escaped to
America"
She had been standing, but now fell into a
chair, almost fainting.
His name his real namefr she cried in a
strangling voice.
Roger Laroque, my fathers friendr
She had known what heaw was going to say
before he pronounced the words But wild
hope made her ask. Perhaps he did not know
all, but when she heard those words, uttered
with steely hardness she felt that nothing
was hidden from her son. She was SO white
that one would have said she had secret
wound from which every drop of her life
blood had flowed. Her son dared not look at
her. Still she did not faint, but tried to over
come her agitation, and lie for his sake, for
she could not bear to let him believe all he
knew
why, yes, believe l do remember the
fact. This Roger Laroque, the wretch, he
killed man TO rob him, and-and the-the
exertion Of defending him was too much for
your poor father, who was III very feeble
health. But he had an idea that this Roger
had saved his life once, and so his honor
liged him TO defend the case But for that
your father might be alive today.n
Raymond turned then and said slowly,
looking his mother full in the eyes, You see
now why this marriage cannot take place
Yes, yes; see. A convict's daughter
Of course you could not be expected to think
Of it now"
"Of course not answered he in a singular
tone
She breathed He knew nothing then but
this She was so glad that she forgot to be
bal nt hot
Roger and she had not known it. She felt
tranquilzed and relieved, and gave a long
sigh. She had come so near the catastrophe
My poor boy!' said she. My dearest
sonm
But Raymond continued:
"Roger Laroque was condemned, but do
you believe he was guiity7'
Certainly. Your father tried in vain to
save him, and besides he avowed his crime,
which perhaps you do not know"
Il repeat my question: Do you believe
him guiltyF
you ask strange question l have al
ready answered"
Very well; tell you he is innocent
"How do you knowa All convicted Grim
inals say they are innocent Everybody
knows that
He rose br1squely and walked back and
forth two or three times, and then said Bit
terly, looking at her with hard and pene-
trating glance:
''Ah, mother mother, take care! Do not
perjure yourself"
my poor son, you must suffer greatly to
speak SO cruelty to me"
81 neither want nor need your pity"
Raymond, pardon you"
''Nor do want your pardon
"Great Godr'
"Roger Laroque is innocent, and it is not
that ignominy which forbids me to wed his
daughter
''How can you certify to his innocenceT'
"a woman played part in this frightful
drama. Do you hear, mother-a womanr'
The guilty mother began again to tremble
violently. She stammered
II hear, my son."
"a woman whom Laroque would not name
though in naming her he might have saved
HIMSELF
Romance
"Truthl This woman had borrowed money
from him and had been his-mistress; and to
condemn him, to be revenged she gave him
this money. OF course she could not have
done this alone and she had an accomplice, a
tool, named Matthias Zuber, otherwise known
as Luversan."
How was this discoveredE' asked she, in
the same strange voice. which seemed to her
not to be her own, but some mechanical con
trivance that spoke for her.
"By Laroque, after all these years.
H"And he has brought them to justice, these
two guilty onesF'
mot yet, but be will in a few days.
"This-this woman; does he think her
guiltyF'
HE does not know how far He knows
that she gave him the money. He knows
nothing Of her relations with Luversan nor
the vengeance, which do The letter which
found in my fathers pocket was proof
"The letterF"
"Yes, the anonymous letter, which re-
vea1ed"-
"Whati whatP'
"Oh, a mere nothing 1t only said that the
woman who gave Laroque the money, who
had been a faithless wife, an unworthy
mother, was-was- Oh, 1 cannot say It'll"
"Who, who, Raymond You see l cannot
understand. Ny poor head is SO confused
Did know herl Was she a friend of ours,
OK LuclensF
"The woman was you, Julia De Noirville,
my mother. You'll"
Il hear you. But what a singular historyl
What a romance. Yes, romance. If it
were not 30 terrible, l could laugh. ! do
laugh, hal ha! You hear me laugh, Ray
mondr
$50 you deny itgn
aWby not. since it is not true9 This is a
calumny, Raymond, an infamous calumny;
and you believe it, against your mother. You
come here and make scene instead of COM
ing to show Ine this ridiculous affair that we
might both laugh over it. Do you know
am almost vexed with you, you naughty
boyl"
Raymond was so ashamed for her that he
hid his face.
"And you say nothing, instead of asking
my pardon You are wicked and migrate
full son, for you have nothing to reproach me
with. l have been tender and good to you
and have always loved you with four fold
affection, even 50 much that l scarcely had
any left for your brothern
| so you still denyr
unhappy child Why should deny such
an atrocious accusationi I even ought not